Former Rensselaer County corrections officer charged with criminal impersonation

WATERVLIET -- Former Rensselaer County corrections officer Mark Piche was arrested by State Police Tuesday on an outstanding warrant for impersonating a member of law enforcement.

The charges stem from an earlier traffic stop in Watervliet where Piche flashed his badge and a law enforcement ID badge. Police Chief Ron Boisvert said his officers initially extended Piche a professional courtesy.

"We later became aware that he was not entitled to have those in his possession," Boisvert said. "So we got a warrant from a judge for a criminal impersonation charge and he was arrested on it today."

The warrant was outstanding when State Police pulled Piche over in Rensselaer County on Tuesday and he was taken into custody.

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"It was a traffic infraction," Boisvert said. "It was a state trooper, that's who turned him in to us."

Boisvert said Piche was processed and released on $250 bail.

He is due back in court to face on April 23. Criminal impersonation is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Piche was president of the Sheriff's Employees Association of Rensselaer County in 2009 when a number of the membership became upset with how he and the vice president, Kevin Rogers, were spending union funds. It was uncovered they had frequented strip clubs, expensive restaurants and supported causes they had a personal stake in.

Piche resigned in 2012 and it was reported Piche was going to take a plea bargain and testify against Rogers but it's unclear where the federal investigation stands at this point. Rogers is on administrative leave.

SEARCO has since dissolved and the COs joined forces with Council 82.

Piche and Rogers were also two of the most vocal supporters of Gary Gordon, who ran unsuccessfully against Sheriff Mahar two years ago.